Wüstenschiff

Armed gangs attacked Christian villages in northern Nigeria on Saturday, sparking a day of violence in which 37 people died, the military says. Dozens of men launched attacks on the villages near the city of Jos in the early hours of Saturday. A military task force deployed and got the situation under control after hours of heavy fighting, officials said. Muslim herdsmen were blamed for the raids, but their community leaders denied any wrongdoing.

Die gewaltsamen Konflikte in Nigeria reißen nicht ab. Bei Anschlägen islamischer Nomaden auf christliche Dörfer und dem Angriff auf eine Trauerfeier starben im Nordosten des Landes am Wochenende über 100 Menschen, wie Polizei und Sicherheitsdienste mitteilten. Sicherheitskräfte hätten inzwischen 22 bewaffnete Angreifer getötet und 25 mutmaßliche weitere Täter verhaftet.

A suicide bomber has killed five people at a mosque in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, security officials say. The attack, reportedly by a teenage boy, narrowly missed one of Nigeria's most revered Muslim traditional leaders, the Shehu of Borno. The blast happened at a mosque near his palace in the centre of the city as Friday prayers finished. Maiduguri is the stronghold of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh says the group has not targeted a mosque before, but it is known to have assassinated Muslim leaders.

At least 19 people have been killed in a gun attack on a church in central Nigeria, officials say. Gunmen stormed the church near the city of Okene in Kogi state and fired on worshippers, they say. The pastor was among those killed when the assailants fired Kalashnikov assault rifles, the officials add. It is not clear who carried out the attack but militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria. BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the shooting happened further south than most areas affected by Boko Haram violence.

Two soldiers have been killed in an attack near a mosque in Okene in Nigeria - a day after gunmen shot dead at least 19 worshippers in a church. Police suspect those who attacked the church killed the soldiers, a spokesman said, AFP news agency reports. A 24-hour curfew has been declared in Okene in the central state of Kogi. It is not clear who is behind the violence, but militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets.

Nigerian troops have killed 20 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of the country, the army says. One government soldier also died in a shootout in the town of Maiduguri [...] On Sunday, the army said it acted on intelligence that a number of Boko Haram members were holding a gathering at a location in Maiduguri. "Our men mobilised, leading to a shootout. Twenty suspected terrorists were killed while a soldier died in the operation and two others sustained injuries," army commander told the AFP news agency.

At least 24 mobile phone masts have been attacked across northern Nigeria [...] A military spokesman blamed the militant Islamist group Boko Haram for the first such attacks on nine mobile phone companies [...] damage could run into millions of dollars. Gunshots and explosions were heard and fires raged as mobile phone pasts were targeted in northern Nigeria's main city, Kano, as well as the cities of Maiduguri, Gombe, Bauchi and Potiskum.

Nach den blutigen Terrorangriffen vom Januar herrscht in Nigerias Metropole Kano gespannte Normalität. Um ein erneutes Aufflammen der Gewalt in ihrer Stadt zu verhindern, suchen Christen und Muslime den Dialog.

The spokesman for Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been killed by Nigeria's military, reliable sources have told the BBC. [...] The joint military task force said it stopped a car suspected to be carrying some senior Boko Haram commanders in Kano, northern Nigeria. A source close to the military said one of the people in the car tried to escape and was shot. He later died in the hospital. The source said some of the people in the car have informed the military that the person shot was Abu Qaqa, the man who signs emails sent to the media on behalf of the group.

Nigerian authorities have arrested a number of officials, accusing them of carrying out attacks for an Islamist militant group. The military said they had captured an immigration officer who confessed to being an active member of Boko Haram. His confession led to the arrest of a number of other officials.

Nigeria's authorities are investigating the killings of at least 26 people in an attack on a college hostel in the north-eastern town of Mubi. Most victims were students called out by name by the gunmen, police said. A resident said the attackers went from door-to-door, shooting or stabbing. It is unclear who is responsible. Monday night's attack came days after dozens of people with suspected links to the Boko Haram militant group were arrested in the town.

Bei einem Feuerüberfall auf ein Studentenwohnheim im Nordosten Nigerias sind nach Angaben eines Behördenvertreters mindestens 26 Menschen getötet worden. 15 weitere seien verletzt worden, als Unbekannte das Wohnheim in der Stadt Mubi angriffen, sagte der Beamte, der anonym bleiben wollte. Inzwischen habe die Armee die Kontrolle über den Anschlagsort übernommen [...] Der Überfall ereignete sich am späten Montagabend in der Nähe des Campus der Polytechnischen Universität von Mubi [...] "Ich habe gehört, dass die Täter anscheinend zunächst nach der ethnischen Zugehörigkeit gefragt und dann die Studenten erschossen haben."

Vor einer Moschee im Norden Nigerias sind am Sonntag mindestens 20 Muslime erschossen worden. Mehrere Bewaffnete eröffneten nach Behördenangaben in einem abgelegenen Dorf im Staat Kaduna das Feuer, als die Gläubigen die Moschee verließen. Es handele sich offenbar um einen Racheakt von Kriminellen.

The loud explosions that have rocked Nigeria's northern city of Maiduguri were orchestrated by the militant group Boko Haram, an army spokesman has said. Lt Col Sagir Musa told the BBC the multiple attacks targeted locations used by the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) in the city, the Islamists' base. He said 24 militants had been killed but denied reports that civilians or soldiers had died. Witnesses say a primary school and a radio tower were set ablaze.

Several people have been killed or injured in an explosion during mass at a Catholic church in northern Nigeria, officials say. The attack happened in Kaduna, scene of many sectarian attacks. The blast was caused by at least one vehicle being driven towards the church loaded with explosives, witnesses said [...] The attack happened at St Rita's church in the Malali neighbourhood of the city [...] There are unconfirmed reports of clashes breaking out between Christians and Muslims after the attack.

Erneut erschüttert ein blutiger Anschlag auf eine Kirche Nigeria. Es gibt viele Verletzte, möglicherweise auch Tote. Augenzeugen berichten von zwei Selbstmordattentätern, die in der Stadt Kaduna ihre Sprengsätze in dem Gotteshaus gezündet haben sollen.

Dozens of young men have been shot dead in Nigeria by the military in Maiduguri, residents in the north-eastern city have told the BBC. An imam told the BBC about 11 youths from his street alone were killed, including four of his own sons. The alleged extrajudicial executions happened as Amnesty International accused the security forces of abuses in its crackdown on Islamist militants. A military spokesman in Maiduguri said he was not aware of the incident. But Lt Col Sagir Musa told the BBC investigations would be made.